Who We Are

Sharpe Scholars are a group of select first-year students who participate in virtually all aspects of campus life and have wide-ranging academic interests. Above all, they share a common desire to engage in the world around them as part of their liberal arts education. Below are a few examples of what Sharpe Community Scholars say they gain.

“Students complete research in many ways in the Sharpe Program. First semester, in the classroom, you attempt to understand the issues affecting the community by surveying literature on your topic. Second semester, in the community, you apply this knowledge to your physical research project. Even though I’m a biology major I think the more humanities based research I’ve gained from this program will help me improve my researching skills and interactions with people.” —Gabbie Names ’12

“I think coming in as a freshman is hard enough, and it is nice to enter an environment where you already have something in common with those you are living with. In this case, it was a mutual love for service and desire to become engaged in the community. Living in Spotswood was one of the best ways to start my time at William & Mary.” —Steph Kumah ’12

“I was kind of skeptical about Sharpe before I arrived on campus, because I thought it was just a “feel good” or “let’s save the world” organization. However, after a while, I learned that it is much more than that. There are many ways to build social capital and mend the social fabric within our communities. I know that’s something that I can bring back to any community.” —Nathan Bruno ’12

“There are some skills that are better learned through practice and experience than just a professor lecturing. For me, I’ve been able to realize my own abilities and interests in terms of service, and how I can work toward making a stronger community. That is what Sharpe is trying to combine. It is someone lecturing you until the point when you are ready to pick it up on your own and just go with it.” —Max Meadows ’12